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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29671074">A Traveler's Birthday</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rlin/pseuds/rlin'>rlin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Linked Universe [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A bit of implied Aurora/Hyrule, Birthday Fluff, But not that much, Fluff, Gen, Legend (Linked Universe) is a total softie, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), especially around Hyrule</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:54:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,730</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29671074</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rlin/pseuds/rlin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Links arrive in Hyrule's time just in time for his birthday. They take it upon themselves to make sure that the traveler receives the love he deserves.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Four &amp; Hyrule &amp; Legend &amp; Sky &amp; Time &amp; Twilight &amp; Warriors &amp; Wild &amp; Wind (Linked Universe), Hyrule &amp; Legend (Linked Universe)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Linked Universe [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063523</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Traveler's Birthday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So yeah, I started writing this on the 21st to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the series, but it just kept getting longer.</p><p>Hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Another day, another shift.</p><p>The Links found themselves in a large entrance hall of what was presumable some castle. From the old paintings to the vaulted ceiling, it was rather well decorated.</p><p>“Oh!” Hyrule said. “I recognize this place! We’re in North Castle, in my time. This is where Aurora and Dawn live.”</p><p>“Link!”</p><p>All nine Links’ heads turned to the source of the voice. It was Aurora and Dawn.</p><p>“It’s great that you could make it here in time for us to celebrate your birthday, Link!” Aurora said.</p><p>Eight heads turned to face Hyrule, who scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.</p><p>“Birthday?”</p><p>Hyrule laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, I wasn’t going to make it a big deal, since it isn’t, but today is my birthday.”</p><p>“What do you mean, ‘not a big deal?’” Legend asked. “Of <em>course</em> it’s a big deal!”</p><p>The other Links muttered assent.</p><p>“How old are you now?” Wind asked, as bouncy and energetic as always.</p><p>“Erm… I’m eighteen now.”</p><p>“Well,” Legend said, “happy birthday, ‘Rule. We have to celebrate it one way or another.”</p><p>Hyrule reddened. “You- You really don’t have to…”</p><p>“Nonsense!” Legend laughed, which was quite rare for him. For him to act so out of character, he must have <em>really</em> meant it.</p><p>Time chuckled. “Come on, let’s give the Traveler some space. But seriously, a birthday is always something worth celebrating.”</p><p>“Speaking of,” Dawn butted in, “we’re holding a formal dinner tonight. Representatives from each of the towns are coming. How better to celebrate the Hero?.”</p><p>Hyrule looked like he wanted to hide in a corner.</p><p>“We would be honored to attend,” Time said.</p><p>“We could say the same for you,” Aurora noted. “It’s not every day that, for example, the Hero of Legend himself appears centuries after his time.”</p><p>Now it was Legend’s turn to be embarrassed.</p><hr/><p>They eventually split up, or at least that’s what they said. Once Hyrule had left, the Links (except the traveler) doubled back and met again in the entrance hall.</p><p>Legend brought Aurora and Dawn with him.</p><p>“So,” Time said. “It seems like Hyrule seems to be embarrassed about his own birthday.”</p><p>Aurora sighed. “We held a celebration for his birthday last year, but he insisted on being on the road instead.”</p><p>Dawn said, “Link is really humble, but sometimes he won’t get it into him that he’s really someone worth celebrating. He’s literally the first person <em>in centuries</em> to wield the entire Triforce, but he then says ‘it’s not a big deal?’”</p><p>Legend sighed. “He can <em>really</em> be stubborn sometimes. Always insisting that he’s not an adequate successor to me or whatever. As If I deserve a successor as good as him.”</p><p>Time gave a look at Legend that made everyone know that he would be the next victim to their care after Hyrule’s birthday was all done with.</p><p>Legend paused for a moment, the realization that he himself would later end up smothered in love slowly dawning on his face.</p><p>“Anyway, as I was <em>going</em> to say,” the veteran said, trying to keep his face impassive, “I think Hyrule would really appreciate it if we did our part to make it a birthday to remember.”</p><p>“I’ll make the food,” Wild immediately volunteered. “After all, what’s a birthday without a feast?”</p><p>Several of the other Links nodded in assent.</p><p>“I’m bringing Twi with me,” Wild continued. “He’s the only other one who’s not completely clueless around food.”</p><p>Twilight shrugged.</p><p>“Some of us can play music, too,” Wind chipped in. “We should play something for him.”</p><p>They decided that Wind, Time, and Sky would be the ones doing that.</p><p>Wars and Four decided to help set arrange furniture and generally help set up the formal dinner.</p><p>And then there was Legend.</p><p>“Look, someone’s got to keep Hyrule from suspecting what we’re up to,” the veteran said. “He might, goddesses forbid, try to stop us, after all.” He then left to go find the traveler.</p><p>“I knew Legend was a total softie inside,” Wars said.</p><p>Twilight and Sky exchanged glances.</p><hr/><p>So it was that everyone went about their business. Legend occupied Hyrule by asking the traveler to give him a tour of the castle, while the other Links and the two Zeldas were working behind their backs.</p><p>“Actually, Traveler, I decidedly <em>do not</em> really want to find out whether they made a larger-than-life statue of me. That would just be embarrassing.”</p><p>“More embarrassing than having most of what you did and several things you didn’t passed down as legends and folk tales?”</p><p>Legend sighed. “Touché.”</p><p>Hyrule walked over to a nearby window and gazed outside. “You’re a role model to everyone in my time. Someone to strive to become. ‘Oh, when I grow up, I want to be just like the Hero of Legend!’ That kind of stuff.”</p><p>“I don’t know, I personally wouldn’t want to be me,” Legend deadpanned.</p><p>Hyrule snorted. “Of course <em>you</em> don’t.” He turned serious again. “It’s… hard… to live up to those legends. I… just don’t feel like I’m <em>fit</em> to be hailed as the Hero of Legend reborn. I’m just a traveler who just happened to be caught up in all of this.”</p><p>“…I don’t think any of us really wanted to get caught up in this hero business. But what matters in the end is that we do the right thing. You defeated Ganon, you finished something I apparently couldn’t, where anybody else would have turned tail and run. You could have run, given up, at any point, but you didn’t, right?”</p><p>Hyrule shook his head.</p><p>“Exactly. Look, Traveler, you’ve met me. I’m a very imperfect person. In fact, I’m kind of an emotional mess. So I don’t want you to be just like me. But I feel like you’re more than a worthy successor. If there’s anything that gives me hope for the future, it’s people like you. Not me, who did more harm than good and…” Legend trailed off, clearly reliving something painful.</p><p>“Veteran… You really need to feel better about yourself. You’re everyone’s role model in my time for a <em>reason</em>.”</p><p>“…I suppose so. Thank you, Traveler.” Legend paused. “Don’t tell the others I said that, the captain would never get off my tail,” he said, his usual cheekiness seeping back into his voice. “My point still stands, though. I couldn’t be more proud of you.”</p><p>He paused again. “You didn’t even need the Master Sword. That still amazes me. I don’t think anyone else can boast of such a thing.”</p><p>“Uh… Veteran? Don’t you still want to take a tour of the castle?”</p><p>“Right.” Legend sighed. “As much as I don’t want there to be a statue of me in the castle, it wouldn’t be the first time. You may as well show it to me.”</p><hr/><p>Time opened the kitchen door and poked his head inside.</p><p>“Old Man! Get out!” Wild looked fairly annoyed.</p><p>“Cub, that’s rather rude,” Twilight said sheepishly.</p><p>“You clearly haven’t seen him cook. Malon had all sorts of horror stories for me.”</p><p>Twilight only sighed.</p><p>“I was only checking on you, you know,” Time said. He left.</p><p>“Pass me the eggs, Twilight, this custard isn’t going to make itself.”</p><hr/><p>“Four, I didn’t know you knew this much about setting a table.”</p><p>“Wars, I’m friends with the princess. I’d be damned if I didn’t know about table etiquette.”</p><p>Wars and Four heard a door open and turned. It was Hyrule and Legend. They quickly put what they were holding down and tried to act natural.</p><p>“So this is the dining hall,” Hyrule said. “We’ll be eating here tonight.”</p><p>Legend looked around. “I see.”</p><p>“Oh, hey, Wars, Four,” Hyrule said. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>Wars struggled to find words. “We… um… were just having a conversation about…”</p><p>“We were talking about our Zeldas,” Four said. Warriors sighed in relief.</p><p>“Ah. Artemis and Dot?”</p><p>“Those are the ones.”</p><p>“Captain, are words suddenly so hard for you to say?” Legend asked. What went unsaid was “You almost blew our cover, you dolt!”</p><p>“I was just… distracted.”</p><p>Legend rolled his eyes. “Sure.” He turned to Hyrule. “So where to next?”</p><p>Hyrule led Legend through another door, and those two were gone.</p><p>There was a pause.</p><p>“Captain, you are a <em>terrible</em> liar, you know that?”</p><p>“Four, don’t <em>you</em> start.”</p><hr/><p>Wind was never that much into composition, but he had picked it up as a hobby. He had to do <em>something</em> when he wasn’t on a boat.</p><p>His task was an interesting one. He had to come up with some good music for ocarina and harp and teach it to Time and Sky.</p><p>He sure hoped that they were good at sightreading.</p><p>He could hear Time and Sky warming up and going over their scales in an adjacent room. They both were not only accomplished heroes, but also accomplished musicians.</p><p>Wind felt honored to be able to conduct both the legendary Hero of Time <em>and</em> the founder of the original Kingdom of Hyrule.</p><p>But enough about that. Wind looked at the sheet music he had written. He had gone through a few revisions, but he felt like this version was <em>perfect</em>.</p><p>He put away his pen and took out the Wind Waker. He went over the music and conducted for himself, making sure to cue in each part. Once he was satisfied, he took the music and walked into the room where Sky and Time were practicing.</p><p>They looked up as Wind entered. “Sailor, are you finished?” Time asked.</p><p>Wind nodded excitedly. He gave them their parts.</p><p>“Thanks, Wind,” Sky said with his usual serene smile. “Do you mind if you could wait a few minutes so that we can go over the music?”</p><p>“Not at all.”</p><hr/><p>Twilight pulled some finished pastries out of the oven. “These are looking really nice.”</p><p>Wild nodded, though he was pouring his attention into a large cake he was frosting. “Found the recipe in the Hyrule Castle library.”</p><p>“Wasn’t the library infested with Lizalfos?”</p><p>“Yes, it was.” Wild took some mixed berries and started arranging it on the cake.  Once he was done, he gave it a light dusting of powdered sugar. “Twi, how does this look?’</p><p>“…Wow. It’s amazing.”</p><p>“Glad you like it.”</p><hr/><p>“Oh!” Warriors said. “I didn’t see you coming, Aurora.”</p><p>Four simply raised an eyebrow.</p><p>Aurora laughed. “Looks like you did well. A few guests are starting to arrive at the palace, do you mind if you help receive them? Dawn’s at the front entrance and I think she could use a hand.”</p><p>They nodded.</p><p>“Aurora,” Four said, “mind if I ask, but what will you be doing?”</p><p>“I need to go find the Hero of Hyrule.”</p><p>The two Links headed for the front entrance, while Aurora began her search.</p><hr/><p>“You don’t have to be so nervous, ‘Rule.”</p><p>Hyrule chuckled awkwardly. “It’s just… I don’t think my manners are the best… and… I’m not used to formal occasions.”</p><p>Legend laughed. “You’re in good company, at least. I think most of us feel out of place in these banquets. But in a place and time. It’s not like a ball in, say, the captain’s Hyrule.”</p><p>“Oh, now <em>those</em> are scary.”</p><p>“With all those snobbish aristocrats who think they’re above you just by their birth?” Legend paused for a moment. “I could not imagine anyone more entitled than nobility. Look, even if Hyrule’s seen better days in this time, there’s no aristocracy. I think that’s an improvement.”</p><p>Hyrule chuckled. “Still…”</p><p>“Look, Hyrule, you don’t have to act perfectly here. The people who will attend already value you as a person.”</p><p>“I… might not know how to dance.”</p><p>Legend raised an eyebrow. “What better time to learn, then? I can teach you.”</p><p>“You know how to dance?”</p><p>“Picked it up on my second adventure.”</p><p>“Remind me, was that Labrynna or Holodrum?”</p><p>“I’ve long since forgotten,” the veteran said with a shrug.</p><p>“You won’t let me refuse, won’t you?”</p><p>“Nope!” Legend took Hyrule’s hands. “So first, you…”</p><hr/><p>“Oh hey, Aurora! Is there anything going on?”</p><p>Aurora poked her head further into the room where she found Hyrule and Legend. “I was looking for Link.”</p><p>“Well, you found him,” Legend said, pushing forward a sheepish-looking Hyrule.</p><p>“Mind if I ask what you two were doing?”</p><p>“I was teaching him how to dance,” Legend said. “Though I’d rather you keep it a secret to everybody. They’d tease me.”</p><p>“I see, then.”</p><p>“Aurora,” Hyrule said, “is there any reason why you’ve been looking for me?”</p><p>“Well, it’s almost time for dinner.”</p><p>Hyrule tensed.</p><p>“Relax, Traveler,” Legend said. “You’ll be among friends.”</p><hr/><p>The representatives from each town were ordinary, common people.</p><p>Such a decision would have more than raised eyebrows in any other Hyrule, but Hyrule’s time had no nobility to object to such a thing.</p><p>Of course, the knights stationed in each town sent their regards, but stayed. They still had their duty protecting their towns, after all.</p><p>Indeed, the only people absent from the hall were Aurora, Legend, and Hyrule.</p><p>Aurora led Hyrule and Legend into the hall and showed them to their seats, before herself sitting next to Dawn.</p><p>“I see we’re all here,” Dawn said. She stood up. “We’re here to honor our very own Hero of Hyrule.” She gestured at a reddening Hyrule. “Not only for the many deeds that Link has done for the kingdom, but also Link as a person. We are also here to celebrate his birthday.”</p><p>Hyrule looked at Legend, who merely smiled.</p><p>Dawn sat down. Time whispered something to her before himself standing and speaking.</p><p>“You might not have seen me or my companions before. You could say that we’re travelers and adventurers much like H- Link. But we’ve been working this entire afternoon to make sure that this celebration goes as well as possible. After all, not only is our Traveler an accomplished hero, but he's also a pleasure to be around. He's good both as a companion and as a friend. If Hyrule has more people like him around, then its future is truly secure.”</p><p>Hyrule looked at Legend again. Legend could tell he was wondering how he didn’t notice all the preparations happening under his nose.</p><p>Legend simply smiled again. His misdirection had been a resounding success.</p><p>Wild stood up and walked into another room, and came back carrying platters of some of the most wonderful looking food that most of the Links had seen.</p><p>And it was only the hors d’oeuvre, too.</p><hr/><p>It didn’t really sink in until dessert that all of the celebrating was for Hyrule.</p><p>Wild once again walked out and re-entered with a large cake. He then put in candles and lit them (thankfully without using a Meteor Rod or a Flameblade, you never knew with Wild).</p><p>“Happy birthday, Traveler,” he said, putting the cake in front of Hyrule.</p><p>Hyrule stared at the cake, dumbfounded.</p><p>“Well? Make a wish!”</p><hr/><p>“Wild, you really outdid yourself,” Hyrule said through bites of cake.</p><p>“I’m glad you appreciate it.”</p><p>“I was wondering. Why do… all this, just for me?” Hyrule asked, gesturing around him.</p><p>“Because we care for each other.”</p><hr/><p>Hyrule looked around the ballroom. The dinner had just ended, and the Zeldas had invited everyone to a dance.</p><p>Hyrule wanted to sneak away, but Legend caught him and insisted on dragging him there. And Hyrule decided to go along with it, since Legend insisted on it so much.</p><p>After all, how could he say no to a friend?</p><p>Time and Sky were in a corner with their instruments. An excited Wind walked over to them, taking out his baton. The other two raised their instruments, and with Wind conducting, they started to play.</p><p>Hyrule wasn’t sure if there was some sort of magic in the music (the instruments certainly had that power) or whether the music was just mesmerizing, but it seemed to put everyone in the mood for dancing.</p><p>Legend, who was still pulling Hyrule around by his arm, said, “Oh, look! There’s Aurora. Why don’t you two dance?”</p><p>“L-Legend, I’m not a very good dancer.”</p><p>“Nonsense. You learned quickly. Plus, nobody would care even if you’re a bad dancer.”</p><p>“I still can’t believe that all of this is for me.”</p><p>Legend stopped and turned, looking directly into Hyrule’s eyes. “You’d better believe it, Traveler, because it is. Happy birthday, Hyrule.”</p><p>The veteran cracked a smile and <em>pushed</em> Hyrule towards Aurora.</p>
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